Automatic nonwaste pigeon feeder



Sept. 14, 1937. J. E. KERMODE A AUTOMATIC NONWASTE PIGEON FEEDER Filed April 3, 1937 Away Patented Sept. 14, 1937 g r UNITED STATES PAT ENT OFFICE 2,092,848: AUTOMATIC NONWASTE 'PIGEON FEEDER James E. Kermode, Hayward, Calif. Application April a, 1931, Serial No. 134,958

Claims. (01. 119-52 This feeder may be made in various sizes to struction toward the front, the -front'and rear accommodate birds of various sizes, such as camembers gravitationally returning feed to the naries and other small birds and chicks, pigeons slot. 1 a

and other medium sized birds, and chickens and Otherobjects-and advantages of the invention other larger birds, and is primarily designed for will become apparent as the followingdescripa pigeon feeding. tion is read on the drawing forming apart of The feeder may be constructed of any suitable this specification, and in which similar reference material, such as wood or sheet metal, and is characters are used to designate similar parts shown as formed of wood, and is shown with throughout the severalviews, of which:

10 four stalls o-r compartments, which number may Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the invention. 210 be varied from one to any'number within the -Fig. 2 is a sectiontaken on' 1ine 2-2. of'Fig. 1. capacity of the space within which it is to be Fig. 3is an enlarged fragmentary section taken located, or to accommodate any number of birds on line 33'of Fig, 1. y 111 I which are to be served. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken '15 The objects of the invention are as follows: o-n line 4-4 of Fig. 2, with the perchmodified as ,15

First; to provide a bird feeder which may be formed of wire mesh. f I built in various sizes to accommodate different The feeder hopper I-I hasa rear wall -,l0,"an, sizes andtypes of birds. inclined screenbottom H which isQforwardly and Second; to provide a bird feeder which may be downwardly inclined. at an angle greater than divided into a series of stalls or compartments the angle of repose'of'the material used for feed, 20 to prevent crowding between birds during the and'whi'chnconnects with thebottom 12 of 'the feeding period. 'feederfand an inclined front wall l3 .which ter- Third; to provide a bird feeder which can be minatesin spaced rela n .tOthe bottom. l2 and conveniently cleaned through the provision of'a to the screen I I; asshown at I4.'.

removable front wall for the feed trough. An upperfront panel the feeder, indicated 5 Fourth; to provide a feeder of the type outlined at. formsfihe upper P01111011 5: 0f 1 1 1 with an inclined screen bottomfor the hopper and coincidently forms a support forthe stall for gravitationally screening the feed as it passes ,uni the l 01151115 Panel terminating from the hopper to the trough, so as toprovide a P e belowithetop Ofthe Tea/I W311! V clean feed for t birds, V a r -The end walls [9 and 20 coincidently form end 30 Fifth; to form a stall unit in which the front walls for the PP cempartmriti H, trdllgh wall of the trough, the stall partitions, and the compa t ritT; a d feeder pa t t and perch constitute a unit, which unit is removable a'slop g cov 2| s hinged to t e ar wa l II to facilitate cleaning of the trough, at will. y hin s f n a a a d ust shedd Si xth; to provide hinge means for the stall cover for the hopper. Q 35 unit, whereby the unit may be swung out of the The trough compartment. consists of the botway for cleaning the trough, and to provide tom I2, and a top structure including a rear means for locking the stall unit in its normal member 23 which is sloped forwardly and downposition in which the front wallof the trough is wardlyat an angle of about 30,for about5less 40 secured in position to retain feed in the trough. than the angle of repose of the material .to be 40 Seventh; to provide a feed trough with a scatfed, to provide a rejectsurface which will reject terproof top structure, which is divided into stall all feed except a possible thin layerwhich may compartments which in turn are subdivided into be scattered thereon by birds and return it to a plurality of feeder sections of sufficient width the slot, and a front member'25 which is sloped to permit convenient feeding while being suffirearwardlyand downwardly'at an angle of about 459 V ciently narrow to prevent scattering and throw- 45, or at an angle greater than the angle "of ing of feed by birds. repose of the material, toreadily and completely Eighth; to form the trough top structure with reject all feed scattered f'thereonby birds and a front member rearwardly and downwardly inreturn it tothe slot 26 formed between the adclined, and a rear member forwardly .and downjacent edges 2Tand 28 of the respective members 50 wardly inclined and forming a feed slot between 23 and 25, these members'extending throughout the adjacent edges, withspaced sub-dividing thelength of the feeder. and beingattached'tothe' members secured in the higher portions of and end-walls l9 and 20jthefront'elige0f thememspanning the members and being rearwardlyanol :ber 25 beingformedparalleltojtheffrontedge30 downwardly inclined to form the highest obofthe endpanels laand.ZflQasQShowriat 29; 55

The trough section top structure is subdivided into a plurality of compartments for each stall section as shown in Fig. 4, by means of wires or spikes 3| which form obstructions or stops, and which are located above the slot 26 and are rearwardly and downwardly inclined to provide the highest obstruction at the forward end and induce feeding toward the rear, these stops spanning the slot and being secured in the higher portions. of the members 23 and 25. By this means, throwing and scattering of feed by birds is practically eliminated.

The feeder section F is divided into a plurality of compartments by means of the partitions 33 which have their front edges 35 in the same plane as the front edges 39 of the end members I 9 and 20, and coincidently form at their bottom ends, intermediate supports for the members 23 and 25, and are supported by the front wall, 13 of the hopper. .7

' The front wall 36 of the feed trough T is formed integral with, or attached to the stall unit, and has a topbeveled edge 31, and the inner surface of this front wall or panel extends above the highest point 38 of the member 25, and is secured in position to form the front panel of the trough section by means of suitable latches or clamps 39 and 4!], which are pivotally secured to the respective end members [9 and 20 as indicated at 4| and 42.

, The stall walls, partitions or members 43, 44 and 45 are aligned with the feeder partitions 33, and are .hingedly supported on the upper front panel vl5 by means of hinges 4B, and have the trough front panel 36 attached to the lower portion of the rear edges, and have a perch 41 attached to the frontal portion of the bottom edges as shown, leaving a space 48 between the rear edge of the perch and front trough panel 36 for disposal of dirt anddroppings.

The perch is preferably formed of coarse screen as shownat 5| in Fig. 4 to prevent accumulation of refuse thereon, a metal or. other material frame 52 being provided for support of the screen.

The feed 49 is placed in the hopper H and feeds to the trough compartment to replace that eaten, passing over the surface of the screen II where dirt, dust, and refuse are screened out and discharged through the opening 50 in the bottom of the feeder, the cleaned feed passing under the edge I4 of the front wall of the hopper and being exposed between the edges 21 and 28 .of the inclined members 23 and 25.

In the event that a bird attempts to scatter or throw feed while feeding, it is prevented from doing so by the obstructions or stops 3| against which it will strike its head or bill, and if any food is thrown forward, it will roll back down the inclined member 25 into the slot, and any thrown backward will deposit on the rear member 23 and all in excess of a thin layer Will return to the slot, and that in the thin layer may be picked up by the bird.

When it is desired to clean the feed trough, the clamps 39 and 40 are swung outwardly and the stall unit may then be swung up to the dottedposi- .tion shown in Fig. 2, which leaves the front of the trough, between the member 215 and the floor [2 open, and the entire floor l2 may then be conveniently cleaned with a brush, scraper, or by the hands.

Thus, an automatic feed screening, self-feeding trough with non-scattering andno' waste features is provided, together with screeningsdisposal, and non-crowding perches removable with feeder for swinging'said stall unit including said trough in communication with said feed hopper, a

spanning said slot and located thereabove to obthe front panel of the trough for easy and convenient cleaning of the trough.

As will readily be understood, this feeder may be constructed of either Wood or sheet metal, and

is now built in both types in accordance with 5 and a feed trough intercommunicating, and

screening means forming the bottom for the hopper and screening feed as it passes from the hopper to the trough and discarding the screenings from the feed, and a stall unit comprising a plurality of spaced partitions, a perch connecting the bottoms of said partitions, a front wall for said'trough connecting said partitions, said partitions being hinged to said feeder for swinging said stall unit including said front wall of said trough into nonobstructional relation to the trough for convenient cleaning of the floor of the trough. n I v 2. A pigeon feeder, in combination, a feed hopper and a feed trough in intercommunication', inclined screening means forming the bottom of the hopper and directing feed to the trough and screening the feed previous to delivery to the trough and discarding the screenings therethrough; a top structure for said trough comprising inclined feed reject means with interposed feed slot, 'said reject means returning scattered feed gravitationally to said slot; head movement limiting means spanning said slot in spaced relation and located above said slot and preventing throwing of feed during feeding, and a stall unit comprising a'pluralityof spaced partitions, a perch connecting the bottoms of said partitions, a front wallfor said trough connecting said partitions and being of equal length to said trough, said partitions being hinged to said front wall into nonobstructional relation to said trough forconvenient cleaning of the floor of said trough. 1 7

3. In a pigeon feeder, a feed hopper, a feed feeder section having a plurality of partitio'nsforming a series of feeder compartments in communication with said feed trough, a screen for screening and cleaning feed as it passes from said hopper to said trough and forming the bottom of 5 struct throwing of feed during feeding.

,4. In a pigeon feeder, a feed hopper, a feed trough in communication with said feed hopper,

a'feeder section having, a plurality of partitions tomv of said hopper and being inclined downwardly to the point of communication with said trough, whereby all feed passes thereover previous to delivery to said trough, said screen discharging screenings directly from said feeder, a stall unit hinged to said feeder and consisting of a wall aligning with each partition, and a hinge connecting the upper end of each wall to said feeder, a front wall for said trough attached to the lower portion of the inner ends of said walls, and a perch supported at the lower ends of said walls, whereby said stall unit with the front wall of said trough may be swung away from said trough at will for cleaning of the floor of the feeder, and latch means for securing said stall unit, with the front wall of the trough in its normal feed-re- 15 taining position on the trough.

5. In a bird feeder, a feed trough having a nontherebetween and gravitationally discharging scattered feedback into said slot, said members consisting of .a front member and a rearmember, said front member having an angle of inclination greater than the angle of repose of bird feed and said rear member having an inclination less than the angle of repose of said feed, whereby all feed is returned to the slot by the front member, and only a thin layer of feed may accumulate on said rear member.

' JAMES E. KERMODE.

waste cover element consisting of two oppositely inclined members spaced apart to form a feed 'slot 

